Typewriting machine



Aug. 21,1928.

G. F. KUROWSK] TYPEWRITING MACHINE 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1925 Aug. 21, 1928.

A. G. F. KUROWSKI TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Au /25, 1925 2 Sheets-Shee1; 2

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Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED G. F. KUROWSK I, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

* Application filed August 25, 1925.

This invention relates to combined typewriting and stencil machines, and one of'its features resides in the provision of means to facilitate the handling of a card, upon which it is desired. to ribbon-type a line at the upper edge thereof, and to out several lines of typing upon the stencil-window.

The stencil-card usually comprises a heavy paper or cardboard-frame, and has an opening across which is stretched astencil-sheet of prepared thin paper. Since it is desired to ribbon-type a line at the upper edge of the card, upon the paper-frame, there is provided mechanism efieetive to raise a ribbon in front of the type, to cover the printing point. The ribbon-vibrating mechanism is, however, automatically rendered ineffective when typing upon the stencil-sheet, that is to say, the ribbon is not raised'to cover the printing point when typing, and therefore the stencil-sheet is struck with the bare type.

One of the objects of this invention is to relieve the operator of the effort required to remember to cast off and restore the ribbonsilencing mechanism, therefore precluding the possibility of errors and generally faciln tating the handling of the work.

According to the method of handling the card in this invention, the same is placed in a card-holding frame in front of the platen, and is lowered all the way down to present the upper edge thereof to the print- 1ng point. In order to render automatic the ribbon-vibrating mechanism, the lower or bottom edge of the card-holding frame is designed to engage the ribbon-vibrator with the universal bar, whereupon the ribbon will be raised at each key-depression. Since most of the writing is done with the bare type, it has been found advantageous to hold the mechanism disconncted or ineffective by means of a spring, and to positively force it into engagement against the spring, when the card is lowered, so that the ribbon will be conversely rendered ineffective upon line-spacing the card, because, when raising the card,

the pressure upon the ribbon-mechanism is released and the spring is allowed to retract, thus disconnecting the ribbon from the universal bar.

In my pending application, No. 33,621, filed May 29, 1925, there is provided a frame, rockably mounted upon a shaft at the rear of the carriage. The free end of the frame is provided with a card-holding frame or pocket Serial No. 52,272.

into which the card is placed, wherein it is held by means of springs, and is caused to move upwardly or downwardly by the action of a cam, rotatably mounted upon the frame and borne by a fixed roller.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement on said, application, since it eliminates the manual operation of the ribbon mechanism, which is objectionable.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

I11 the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional View, in elevation, through the center of an Underwood standard typewriting machine having the invention applied thereto. In this view the card is shown in its lowermost position ready to receive a ribbon-typed line at the upper edge thereof.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the platen in upper-case position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ribhon-switching mechanism.

Figure 4 is afront view of the machine, showing the card in its lowermost posit-ion. Figure 5 is a fragmentary View, showing the card in a position to receive the first line of typing upon the stencil-sheet, the ribbonmechamsm being shown in its silenced or m- .operative position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front view, in

elevation, showing the I ribbon-vibrating mechanism disconnected from the operating pin on the universal bar.

According to the method of handling the work in this machine, it is proposed to insert a stencil-card 10, bottom edge first, down a card-receiving frame 11, which is supported by its uppermost ends at 12, to a rocking frame 13. The rocking frame 13 is pivotally mounted upon a cross-shaft 14 secured to a platen-frame 15, and comprises two arms 16 and 17, rigidly connected by a. cross-bar 18, which may form an integral part thereof. The frame is slightly curved inwardly, and is disposed in front of a platen 19 on an axle 20, journaled in end plates 21 of the platenframe. The platen, of course, serves as a backing for the card when the same is struck by type-bars 22. Since the card-receiving loo frame 11 is secured to the free end of the lllr and need not herein be described. In this invention, however, this mechanism is shown diagramn'latically, and comprises a cam 23 revolubly mounted in the rockin frame 13 by means of a shaft 24, having a linger-wheel 2-5 fast thereto. The cam is backed by a tixed roller 26, which is borne by a shaft 2? fast to the end plates 21 of the platen frame. In order to raise the card, it only necessary to rotate the shaft 2i, so that a pawl 28 will engage the next: tooth of a ratchet-wheel 29. It will be noted that a handle 30 is provided to restore the frame 13 to its normal position. By releasing the pawl 28, a spring, not shown, is permitted to retract to rotate the cam 23 to its normal position, which is determined by a pin 31 on the arm 17.

'hcn the card-receiving frame is lowered all the way down. as shown in Figure 1, the bottom edge thereof strikes a bail-piece 32, which is pivotally mounted at 33 upon brackets 34, secured to the platen-shift-frames 3;") by means of screws 36. The bail-piece 32 comprises two arms 37, having a bent tab 38, upon which there is secured a. crossbar 39 by means of screws -l0. In order to prevent the drag of the bottom edge of the card-reeeiving frame against the stationary cross-bar 39 when the carriage ofthe machine is letter-spaced, there is provided an intermediate element or cardrest 41, which is. pivotally mounted on the feed-roll-shaft -l2. Said card-rest is etl'ective to rock the bail 32 upon being urged clownwardlyv by the card-carrying frame.

In upper-case position, as illustrated in Figure 2, the top edge of the bail-piece 32 has moved inward of the machine and to one side of the bottom of the card-receiving frame 11. During such change of positionot' the bailpiece 32, the card-rest 41 provides a medium for maintaining the downward pressure of frame 11 on said bail-piece.

A rear lever-arm 37 extending from one of the arms 37 of the bail 32 is provided with a stud -13, fast thereto and engaging with a hole it in a bent. portion -15 oi. a lever 46, pivotally mounted at 47 upon an extension -t8 of one of the brackets 34, Upon swinging the bail 32 downwardly, the rear arm 37 of the lever will be moved upwardly, thus swinging the lever l(3 in a manner to draw on a link it), engaging with the lowermost end of the lever 46 at 50. One end of the link 49 is operatively connected to the lowern'iost end of an arm 51, fast to a IOLli-Sllttft 52, while the other end is operatively connected at to a piece 54, slidably mounted on a bracket 55,. fast to a universal bar frame (Sci:- T he piece 5st is provided with an elongated slot 56 designed to engage a pin 57, fast to a ribbon-vibrating lever 58. Normally, a sprint 59 will hold the piece list out of engagement with the slot 56. as shown in Figure (3, and. therefore. the re ciprocating motion of the universal bar will not be transmitted to the ribbon-vibrator.

Upon depressing the card-receiving frame, however, the lever i6 will be rocked to draw on the link -19, thereby sliding the piece 5t into engagement with the pin 57. In order to facilitate the sliding of the piece 51- upon the bracket the latter is provided with a horizontally-disposed slot (30, into which there is fitted a locating block (31 fast to the piece lit by means of a screw 62. u

The universal bar frame (i-lis vibrated in the regular way at each key-depression by the action of a heel G3 on each type-bar 22 striking a universal bar (35, which forms an inte gral part of the universal bar frame (54.

One of the features of this invention relates to the provision of means, whereby either type of a two-type type-head may be used. The platen is normally held in front of a lower type (56, and, in order to write in upper-case type, the platen is raised to upper-case position. The platen-frame is raised in the regular manner, by depressing a key. not shown, thereby swinging the platen-shiftframe on a sha ft (37. The shift-frames J35 carry, fast thereto, a rail (38, upon which the platen-frame is slidably mounted by means of a roller (39, revolubly mounted upon a downwardlyextending bracket 70. In order to con'ipensate for the position of the platen when the same is shifted to upper case, it has been found advisable to support the bail 32 upon the brackets 3t on the shift-frames 36, but, since the lever 46 pivotally mounted in said brackets, and is operatively connected at to the link 49, fixed relatively to the le ver -16, the same is provided with a bent portion 71, the radius of which is substantially radial with the shaft (37, upon which it swings when the platen is shifted to upper-case position.-

Variationsmay be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having, thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a typewriting machine. the combination with a platen, typing instrmnentalities, and ribbon-vibrating mechanism, of means for rendering said mechanism nor mally silent, a card-holding frame for prcsenting a stencil-card to the types, a train of devices etlect-ive to cause said vibrating n1ccl1- anism to vibrate the ribbon at the typestrokes actuated for a single line of typing by the loweredge of said carbon-holding frame in its lowermost position, and means for linespacing the frame. said vibrating mechanism returning to silentcondition upon a liliespacing operation of said frame.

2. In a typewriting machine. the combination with a platen, typing lllFtl'llllltilll'tllb ties, and ribbon-vibrating mechanism, of means for rendering said mechanism normally silent, a, pendant card-holding. frame for presenting a stencil-card to the types, a

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' tion.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion with a case-shifting platen and a carriage therefor, typewriting instrumentalities, and a ribbon-vibrating mechanism, of means for rendering said IllOChilIllSll'l normally silent, a train of connections associated with said mechanism including a bail extending in carriage feeding direction beneath the platen, a card-holding frame for presenting a stencil-card to the types, a carriage-carried element independent of the frame and positioned intermediate the latter and said connections to slide along said bail, said cardholding frame in its lowermost position being effective to engage said element to depress said bail and'thereby operate said connections to cause said vibrating mechanism to vibrate the ribbon at the type-strokes, said element providing means for maintaining said connections in operated condition while permitting the same to move to new positions relative to said frame during case-shifting and letter spacing operations, and means for line-spacing said card-holding frame to thereby render the ribbon-vibrating mechanism silent for cutting the stencil portion of the card with the bare types.

I. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion with a case-shifting platen, typewriting instrumentalities, and ribbon-vibrating mechanism, of means for rendering said mechanism normally silent, a train of connections associated with said mechanism, said connections including a bail extending in carriage-traveling direction beneath the platen, a card-holding frame for presenting a stencil-card to the types, and an element intermediate said bail and the card-holding frame, said element traveling with the platen and having a portion thereof slidably resting upon the bail, the lower edge of said cardholding frame being effective to directly engage and operate said element, whereby to impart motion to the bail and thus condition said vibrating mechanism to render-the ribbon-vibrator effective at the typestrokes, said element permitting changes in position of said bail relative to the frame while maintaining said bail in operated position during case-shifting of the platen.

5. The combination with a typewriting machine having a case-shifting platen, a carriage, typing instrumentalities, and a universal member controlled by said typing instrumentalities, of a normally ineffective ribbon-mechanisi'n, means including a card-carrying frame for presentingra stencil-card to the printing field in front of the platen, and means controlled by said frame .to antomatically throw the ribbon mechanism into engagement with the universal member, to thus vibrate the ribbon in front of the types at each key depression, said last-mentioned means including a plate mounted'under the platen in the downward path of'the cardcarrying framefso as to be directly engaged and operated by the latter, said plate being arranged to be moved along with the carriage, a bail-piece rockably mounted on the platen shift-frame of the machine, the upper edge of the bail-piece serving as asupport for. said plate, and a train of connections controlled by said bail-piece and effective to connectthe ribbon-vibrating mechanism to the universal member, said plate being effective to maintain the downward thrust of said frame against said bail-piece when the latter moves to a new position during case-shifting operations, and means for line-spacing the frame independently of the platen.

6. In a typewriting machine including, in

combination, a platen-carriage, a platen, typing instrumentalities, ribbon-vibrating mechanism, a rocking frame borne by the platen-carriage to swing above the platen, means on said rocking frame for presenting a stencil-card along the printing line of the platen for first ribbon-typing a line along the upper edge of the card and thereafter cutting the stencil-portion of the card with said typing instrumentalities, and means dependent upon the movement of the stencilcard from itslowermost position for silencing said ribbon-vibrating mechanism.

7. In a typewriting machine including, in combination, a platen-carriage, a platen, typing instrumentalities, a normally silent ribbon-vibrating mechanism, a rocking frame borne by the platen-carriage to swing above the platen, a pendent card-holder mounted on said rocking frame so as to present a stencilcard along the printing line of the platen for first ribbon-typing a line along the upper edge of the card and thereafter cutting the stencilportion of the card with said typing instrumentalities, and means in the path of said holder for causing said ribbon-vibrating mechanism to vibrate the ribbon when the stencil-card is in itslowermost position so as to ribbon-type the line on the upper edge of the card.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, typing instrumentalities, ribbon-vibrating mechanism including an actuator movable into and out of operative position and means for normally holding the actuator out of operative-position for cutting ill a stencil-card with the bare type, of a train of connections associated with said actuator, said train including a bail extending in car riage-feeding direction beneath the platen operative to move the actuator into position for actuating the ribbon-vibrating mechanism when the bail is depressed, an intermediate member earried by the platen-carriage to more therewith and in sliding en gagement upon said bail, and a card-holding frame for presenting the stencil-card along the printing line of the platen, said cardholding frame when in its lowermost position presenting the card with its upper edge at the printing line and depressing said bail through engagement with said intermediate member to render the ribbon-vibrating mechanism operative for ribbon-typing a line along said upper border of the card by the operation of said typing instrumentalit-ies.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, typing instrumentalities and ribbon-vibrating mechanism including an actuator movable into and out of operative position, of a card-holding frame for presenting a stencil-card along the printing line of the platen, means for normally holding the actuator out of operative position for out! ing a stencil-card with the bare type, and a train of connections associated with said actuator, said train including a lever extending into the path of the lower edge of said card-holding frame beneath the platen and operative to move the actuator into position for operating the lllJlJOll-Vlb 'ating mechanism when the lever is depressed, said card-holding frame when in its lowermost position presenting the card with its upper edge at the printing line and depressing said lever to render the ribbon-vibrating mechanism operative for ribbontyping a line along said upper border of the card by the operation of said typing instrumentalities.

ALFRED G. F. KUROVVSKI. 

